


Not So Far Away

by hollandroden



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Klaroline, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 05:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollandroden/pseuds/hollandroden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline receives a strange phone call one night by a man looking for some guy named 'Stefan'. (oneshot) (AU/AH)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not So Far Away

“Hello?” Caroline picked up the phone absentmindedly. It was probably just her Mother wanting to know where her and her friends were at that exact moment, or her Aunt calling to confirm their plans for the weekend.  
Alas, it was neither of those voices that spoke next. “Hey! It’s me Klaus, yeah remember me? We met the other night down town I think it was? Next to that statue of that lad on the bench, anyways-”  
“Sorry,” she cut him off, “you seem to have the wrong number.” Caroline had expected to hear the familiar and almost comforting tone of her family but instead she heard a low and rocky voice of a man. No not just a man, but a stranger, a strange man. It didn’t matter that she knew his name was Klaus, that name had no significance to her so he was nothing but a voice on one side of a wrong call.  
The other end of the line was silent for a moment and she had begun to think he’d hung up before he said, “So this isn’t Stefan then?”  
Caroline shook her head before realizing that he couldn’t see her. A smile sprouted on her lips, “No I’m afraid not, better try again.” Caroline looked to her left and saw her friends giggling at themselves down one of the isles, not any of them seemed to notice her absence. “Bye.” She hummed, pulling the phone away from her ear.  
“No wait!” Klaus called with desperation in his voice. Hesitantly Caroline pulled the device back to her ear. “Talk to me.”  
She rolled her eyes, “Honestly I don’t even know you, why on Earth would I talk to you?” Caroline was baffled as to why this boy would want to talk to her; she wasn’t anything really that special, just herself. He had never even met her before; there was nothing of interest for him to get out of a phone conversation with her.  
The smirk on his lips could almost be heard through the telephone. “I’m a nice guy I’m sure you’d love talking to me!” She had to laugh. “Apparently I’m funny too.”  
She huffed out her breath, “Don’t forget conceded.” This time it was his turn to chuckle. Caroline wasn’t sure what kept her talking, only that it didn’t seem as crazy as it had before. Nevertheless it was still insane to talk to somebody she’d never met over the phone -possibly life threatening as well- and she knew that. So why didn’t she just hang up?  
“No need to be rude!” He chortled, “Why don’t you tell me your name?” Klaus asked his voice full of innocence.  
“Oh I don’t know, because I don’t know you?”  
“Hey! I told you mine it’s only fair.”  
Caroline laughed to herself, “Nope, I’m not stupid. If I told you my name you would track me down, follow me around a bit to figure out my daily patterns and then kill me when I’m all alone, unless you’re willing to murder my family too.” She was smiling into the receiver, but nothing was really that funny. She was being serious.  
He sighed, “Are you always this dramatic?”  
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Suddenly Caroline was being beckoned by her friends; she looked over her shoulder at the other four girls and gave them the one second sign before turning her back on them once again.  
“Actually yes I would.”  
Caroline said, “Well that’s a shame because you never will. I have to go, hope you find your friend Stefan.”  
“We’re not really that close.” Something in his voice had shifted, almost as if he had become disappointed. Caroline knew it wasn’t because of her, he was a stranger and her decisions in life didn’t affect him.  
With one final smile she said, “Lucky him,” before hanging up and joining her friends at the cash.  
Caroline had never expected anything further to blossom from the phone call. Klaus had just been a boy with shaky fingers that hadn’t meant to dial her number and since they had he got a good conversation out of it, but that was all. She had guessed that he had finally got a hold of Stefan; they’d gotten together and spent some time bonding as boys do. From the way it sounded they needed some male bonding time anyways. Caroline had guessed wrong however because that was not the last time she heard Klaus’s voice.  
She and her Mother were sitting in the living room watching TV together when Caroline heard the familiar ring of her cell phone. She bent over and answered just like she always did, “Hello?”  
“Glad to hear you again.”  
She froze in place, body rigid with surprise. This had not been a situation she’d ever thought she’d have to encounter. Her eyes went from the screen to her Mother and back again. Her Mom was paying her no attention and so she stealthily stood up and made her way into her own bedroom.  
“Not you again.” She whined as soon as the doors were closed.  
“Ouch,” he hissed, “your words are wounding.”  
She leaned back against the wall, crossing one arm over her chest and laughing, “Not as bad as my fist.”  
“Very nice one, I’d high five you but I’m unable to do so.” She could hear rustling in the back and the moaning of steel against pipe. It almost sounding like he was on a swing set, but she couldn’t be sure.  
Her voice went flat, “what a shame.” She mumbled. They sat in silence for at least two minutes, neither one of them speaking until she finally blurted out, “What do you want with me?”  
“Huh?” He asked his voice instantaneously filled with curiosity, “what do you mean?”  
Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose, “I mean … you don’t know me, sure one phone call wasn’t that bad but then you call me again? What’s up with that?”  
Klaus didn’t reply at first which made Caroline angry. She didn’t want to talk to this guy, she didn’t want to have to be asking these questions and corresponding with whatever stupid thing he was saying next. Why should she have to if she had never even met the boy before?  
“What’s your favourite color?”  
This time it was her turn to ask in confusion, “huh?”  
“Purple, green, yellow? What one is it? Personally I like orange; it’s nice on the eyes.” Her jaw dropped because she just didn’t know what else to do. He had purposely just changed the subject and didn’t answer her question either. Something about Klaus made Caroline’s skin crawl with anger.  
However instead of getting angry she said, “Blue.”  
The noise in the background hadn’t diminished and by this point Caroline was positive that he was at a park of some sort. She could hear a little girl yelling into the wind in the distance.  
He spoke softly, “it’s a nice color, good choice. Favourite animal?”  
“What is this? Twenty questions?” She accused, overcoming her initial shock.  
“Well,” Klaus said, “do you want it to be?”  
She was about to say no when she heard her name being called. “Sorry I’ve got to go now, bye.” Hopefully her lack of an answer would give him the message. She didn’t want to talk to him anymore, he made her angry, made her blood boil like a witches brew on Halloween night.  
The third call came in two days later when she was studying for her science test. She had her books sprawled out in front of her and her phone was being moved around carelessly in her hands. She had enjoyed her one day of relaxation; no phone call had taken place, which meant no stress on her part. All good things must come to an end.  
She answered the phone without even thinking, “Hello?”  
“Mines a cat.”  
Caroline let out a groan and threw her face down into the mattress. She’d been so caught up in her work that she hadn’t realized whose number it was. “Please don’t Klaus.” She begged.  
She could almost hear the smile breaking out on his face, “You remember my name!”  
“Well not too many people are named Klaus where I live.” She chewed on the end of her fingernail out of habit. Maybe if she chewed hard enough he would hang up and she could go back to making sure she passed the school year.  
He made a tsk tsk noise, “that’s a shame, it’s a beautiful name.”  
“You are way too full of yourself.” She chuckled. For some reason she enjoyed the banter they had back and forth, no matter how creepy it truly was. Klaus seemed nice enough and in all honesty she was just a stranger, so how would he do her any harm from a simple phone conversation? Everything about what she had just thought went against her morals. Caroline didn’t give out personal information to strangers in case of murder, she didn’t get into her car without checking to back, she didn’t cross the street without looking both ways five times, she was cautious. Apparently not anymore. “Caroline.”  
“What?”  
“That’s my name.” She said simply. Her heart had begun to beat a little faster, thumping erratically against her rib cage. This had been a bad decision but she couldn’t turn back now, the road had darkened and enabled her from retreating.  
He seemed to be thinking, “it’s nice.” He concluded.  
“Really?” She questioned, “That’s it? That’s all?”  
A chuckled escaped him, ringing in Caroline’s ears. Although it wasn’t a familiar sound, it was one that brought her comfort for reasons unknown to everybody. “What would you like me to say?” He asked. “Oh I know! It’s a lovely name, fit for a Queen.”  
She scoffed, “Cut the sarcasm I get it.” Caroline smiled despite her annoyed feelings. She wondered what her friends would think if they found out she was talking to a stranger on the phone, they’d probably ask how hot he was no doubt. It was probably more her parents she had to worry about, they wouldn’t take to kindly to her disclosing information to Klaus.  
Without missing a beat he said, “So what’s your favourite animal?”  
“Giraffe.” She smirked. That was an easy question, but Caroline was wary of what kind of hard questions were to come. “Favorite show?” He hummed in thought, making a very delightful noise. “You’re pretty good at that.”  
He halted his tune, “good at what?”  
“Singing.” She laughed, leaning her hand against her hands. “Ever thought of going professional.”  
She could almost picture the smile on his face, even though she had never seen him before. Caroline had a pretty good imagination and she let it roam. Every time she talked to him she pictured a different person. Sometimes his hair was straight and long, others it was short and curly. He never had the Caroline eye color or the Caroline smile but it didn’t bother Caroline that she could never pick one certain look.  
“Next joke please.” His voice was filled with humour but she could hear the uncertainty hidden in behind it.  
She sighed, “I’m serious, and you’re good.”  
“I think it may be the X-Factor but I’m not quite sure.” Once again Klaus completely avoided what she had been saying. Caroline was beginning to realize that he wasn’t as confident and playful as he had first come across. “You?”  
Caroline thought for a moment before answering, “I enjoy Glee and Criminal Minds. Two completely different concepts but equally enjoyable.”  
The conversation carried on this way for quite some time, bouncing questions and side comments back and forth, neither one of them completely sure they should be doing it. Until he had to go and so they hung up. It didn’t stop there however; this continued on for the next week, the phone calls at random intervals of the day.  
It was creepy to think that they had never met but Caroline knew what kind of juice he liked and he knew that she didn’t like playing sports because she was rotten at them. The little things that just make up the person that nobody really notices once they’ve been around that person for a while were the important things in their conversation. They couldn’t be fooled by appearance or useless conversation; it was just talking and bonding, two strangers becoming … friends?  
That was absurd because they couldn’t be friends, not really. Sure they knew things about each other that they hadn’t one week prior but they had never even met. Caroline had informed her friends who thought it was sweet in some form or other, but told her to be careful. She ignored the fact that they started to pretend to be spies and scoped out the room every time Klaus called her in case he was stalking her to murder her.  
It was Tuesday at lunchtime. Caroline and her friends were all gathered at a table in the court yard when she heard the ring of her cell phone. Her friend’s comments and looks were television worthy but she brushed them off and answered. “Hello Klaus.” She sighed.  
“Somebody sounds excited.” He chuckled.  
It was scary how easily they fell into conversation with each other, like two kids who had been friends for years and were just calling each other for a random chat to fill in their boring lunchtime. “I have to go back to school it’s not that exciting.”  
She heard his proverbial chuckle, “Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”  
“Wait what?” She paused, “you never told me you could drive.”  
“You never really asked.” He mumbled. He made some scuffling sounds in the background while Caroline sat in disbelief.  
Her friends raised their eyebrows but she evaded their stares. “Learn something new everyday … anyhow, I’m not telling you were I am.”  
“Why not?” He exclaimed, seeming surprised by her sudden drawback in their conversation.  
She chortled, “That’s a little creepy don’t you think?”  
“Well not really, you’d have to be in the Mystic Falls area because Stefan lives there and I was only like one digit off with his number. I‘m vacationing there with my family so it‘s not that creepy.”  
Caroline pondered this, “Possibly … did you ever get a hold of Stefan?” She had never really asked about him again since that first time they had talked. He seemed less important than trying to get a stranger to stop calling her.  
“No” He replied simply, “I found somebody else to talk to.”  
“Who? Oh-” She caught on then. A smile blossomed on her lips, “Thanks.”  
“So,” He said cautiously, “Where are you?”  
Caroline shook her head while she spoke, “I’m seriously not going to tell you the answer to that.”  
“Oh come on what’s the harm?”  
“For some reason I feel as though we’ve already had this conversation.” Her voice was tainted with sarcasm that she knew he could hear perfectly.  
He answered very nonchalantly, “No that was about your name.”  
“Shut up.” Caroline felt a tap on her shoulder and realized that all her friends were beginning to leave. “Sorry, I have to go bye.” She hung up without waiting for a response which left her with a bit of guilt in her stomach.  
Klaus hadn’t called that evening, or the next day, or the day after that. Caroline figured that he probably realized it was dumb to keep talking to somebody he’d never met before and pushed her out of his mind. She decided that it was best for her to do too; she couldn’t keep getting distracted by a voice that didn’t have an owner.  
Her friends had agreed that it was for not only her benefit, but their’s too because they were getting annoyed at having to watch her run off to answer a call. It was Friday night and they had taken a late night trip to the store to purchase some food because they had already eaten what they’d bought previously.  
The ringing of her cell phone surprised her. Caroline was hesitant to answer it because she wasn’t sure she really wanted to talk to him again. Her friend looked at her and nodded in encouragement. “Hello?” She sucked in a breath and held it.  
“Hey.” A deep and rocky voice answered. Caroline let out her breath but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was relieved or shocked. “Sorry I was busy these past couple days.”  
“Klaus.” Was all she could get out. What should she say to him? Should she tell him that she was trying to forget him because sooner or later she would have to and prolonging it only made it worse? Or should she just carry on with the conversation? Her head was spinning so she just stayed silent.  
He coughed awkwardly, “So what’s up?”  
“I’m buying food because my friends and I are pigs.” It was weird how easy it was for her to fall back into their old ways of back and forth banter.  
Klaus laughed at her honesty and for a moment it seemed louder than it normally should have. She heard it emanating not only from her cell phone but from around her as well. She must be going crazy. In Klaus’s absence she probably developed some form of invisible imaginary best friend that took on Klaus’s personality. Even her explanation for it sounded crazy.  
However, maybe she wasn’t all that crazy. “Klaus say something.”  
“Um, my cats name is Dusty.” There it was again, that echo right after he said each word. “Hey Caroline do you hear-”  
“An echo?” She finished. Excitement started to flutter through her stomach and she wasn’t quite sure as to why. “Where are you?” She asked.  
“I thought that was a creepy question.” He laughed. Caroline pivoted on her right foot and positioned herself in the direction of his voice. Her steps were becoming quicker as she moved but she didn’t have to go very far.  
There was a boy standing further down the aisle that had a cell phone pressed to his ear. He was taller than her by quite a lot, he had a nest of brown curls covering his head but they were nothing like what she had pictured. He stood with his free hand nestled in his pocket with his back facing her. She couldn’t be positive it was him so just to make sure she said, “Oh shut up,” into the receiver and watched as he turned around from the sound of her voice.  
“Good one.” He smirked closing his phone in the process. She followed in step. Caroline started to take him in, his glowing eyes, his cheeky grin, those dimples on the side of his face. His hair was slicked back like some sort of movie star, it normally would have made Caroline laughed but she found it sweet on him.  
For a moment neither one of them made the effort to move or even speak but after they were finished with their initial shock both took a running step forward until they were embracing each other. Something inside of her started to smile, if that was even possible. Caroline was filled with happiness that she didn’t understand. Finally she could put a face to the voice, she could say she wasn’t just talking to a faceless stranger, she actually knew the boy that had started to take over her mind.  
They pulled back slowly, “So you’re Klaus Mikealson.” She sighed, smiling brighter than she could have ever imagined.  
“I was right.” He was smirking down at her.  
She cocked her head to the side in confusion, but never once dropped her happy expression. “About what?”  
“You were a better choice over Stefan.”


End file.
